Amritsar 1 Day Itinerary

Amritsar is a charismatic and historical city that provides many different places of attraction. Amritsar would ideally require two days to explore it to the full extent but if time and other factors allow you only one day’s time to discover the city, this is just for you.

The City On Pedals’ 1 day itinerary has been specially crafted to help the travelers explore the most important and popular places of the city including the most famous food places to fuel you for the day.

Get Started

The day is divided into 2 parts – the first focuses on visiting the heritage places in and around the city center and the second includes visit to the Wagah Border, shopping for souvenirs and ending with a sumptuous dinner.

Quick Overview of the day

Morning

Golden Temple

Jallianwala Bagh

Khair-ud-Din Mosque

Lunch at Kesar da Dhaba

Evening

Shopping at local bazaars

Visit to the Wagah Border

Dinner at Makhan’s/Beera Chicken Center

Amritsar 1 day itinerary

Morning

For the morning itinerary, it is suggested to start around 08:00 and explore the places in and around the city center of Amritsar. The area is called the walled city as earlier it was fortified with walls and had 9 gates. Amritsar has a haphazard blend of taste, smell, touch and sounds and it can be draining for visitors new to India, more so when combined with the intense heat of the dry season. Thankfully, almost all of the main tourist sights are close to each other and are easy to explore albeit with a little bit of help with directions if and when needed.

Golden Temple

We start at 08:00 with the beautiful and sacred Golden Temple which is the biggest Sikh pilgrimage in the world. The sprawling complex comprises a holy lake and right in the middle of it, stands the main block which is gold plated. Click here for location

Tip: Sit by the lake and let the peace and serenity sink in. It should take you 1 hour to see and know all of it.

Pro Tip: Pay a visit to the Central Sikh Museum on the first floor of complex to know some fascinating tales about the Sikh religion history.

Jallianwala Bagh

Jallianwala Bagh is at a walking distance from the Golden Temple complex. We can start here ~09:30. It is the site where the massacre took place in 1919 when British Indian Army under the command of General Dyer opened fire on unarmed protesters. Thousands died that day and a lot many jumped into the well. Even today the bullet marks and the well is there to see. It would not take more than an hour to explore this place. Click here for location

Khair-ud-Din Mosque

Another one of the admired religious places in Amritsar is the Khair-ud-Din Mosque. The beautiful mosque is situated in the Hall Bazaar and was built by Muhammad Khairuddin in 1876. The visit can be completed in under half an hour. Click here for location

Kesar da Dhaba

Now, you will already be starving for lunch and it is the perfect timing for a traditional Punjabi lunch at the famous Kesar da Dhaba. The e-rickshaws will take you there and you can have the Punjabi food much to the delight of your taste buds followed by the refreshing Lassi. Click here for location

Evening

Shopping at local bazaars

It should be ~13:30 when you finish the lunch. It is time for a quick stroll across the local markets i.e., Shastri market and Katra Jaimal Singh market to buy any souvenirs you may want to get hold of. Be sure you are free by 14:30.

Wagah Border

If you have your own cab/car, you are all set for a ride to the Wagah Border and if you are not sorted about the commute, you can take a ride in the shared cabs/taxis readily available near the Jallianwala Bagh. The Wagah Border is ~30 km away from the city. The Beating Retreat ceremony is a must-watch.

The ceremony lasts for 45 minutes and 16:15 is the time when it begins during winter and 16:45 during summer. The border gate is open from 10:00 to 16:00 pm. However, the ceremony starts only after 16:00. So if you want to watch the ceremony, you have to reach the place not later than 15:00.
Seats are packed on weekends and public holidays. No tickets are needed for the event. Click here for location

Tip: If you are a foreigner, you can show your ID to get a seat in the VIP area and a premium viewing position. All you need to carry is an ID.

Pro Tip: If by any means you are running a couple of hours ahead of schedule, you have a great chance to take a short detour and visit another historic gem in Pul Kanjari.

Dinner at Beera Chicken Center

You should be back from the Wagah Border by 18:00 and after the eventful day you’ve had, you deserve another Punjabi treat. We will recommend the Beera Chicken House for a sumptuous dinner. Now, laden with beautiful memories, you are all set to board your train or take your flight back home. Click here for location

Parting Compliments

We thank you for visiting Amritsar. The final suggestion from us at City On Pedals is that if you want to experience Amritsar to the full, you will need at least a couple of days. So, the next time you plan on visiting Amritsar, you should consider the tours we offer. Check out our Amritsar Heritage City Tour for an ultimate cycling tour exploring the hidden places and unreal old architecture inside the old walled city of Amritsar! Best Wishes!

I am an engineering graduate who is passionate about traveling and tasting different kinds of food. I find solace in writing and it is something I want to always be associated with. I like presenting the views about different things in the most authentic and different way.

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Reviews

This experience with City On Pedals was a priceless, genuine Amritsar experience that I would highly recommend to travelers and tourists alike and is something you can’t easily get unless you’re with a well connected local.– Charm Bartolay

I believe I was the first ever customer, when I did this tour in mid-December.
The guide had an incredible knowledge about the city, its heritage, architecture, culture and history, as well as the culinary scene!
A must do if when you visit Amritsar!– Jens Fisker

My wife and I took this tour after finding out about it through Instagram. It was a great experience. We cycled to areas not found in any guide books, and to places we wouldn’t even be able to find if tried. Many great food stops along the way. Can’t recommend this enough!– Steven G

One of the best instant connection I have made in life….City on Pedals, the journey started with a simple comment on instagram picture and ended with best of the experience, lots of cultural information about Amritsar and whole lot of finger licking food. Rishab and team is doing great work. The enthusiasm and passion for City on Pedals is unmatched. Would love to do it again and again. Keep it up guys….you are doing the best!!– Bhumika

We were approached by two very polite reps with information about their cycle tour – it sounded really interesting and we signed up for the next day. And they delivered what they have promised – an exciting exploration through Amritsar’s parks, streets and alleys, discovering hidden corners and learning about the history, architecture and culinary treats. I can only recommend it – if you like to get up early 😉– Bhoermann

Our City on Pedals excursion proved there is much more to Amristar than the Golden Temple.
An excellent digital marketer, Rishabh let us know about his company by commenting on one of my Instagram posts (with an #Amritsar hashtag)—and within minutes my husband and I were able to quickly and easily book a tour for the following morning. The next morning, we were delighted to discover that we would be the only ones on the tour: a private exploration of the city with Rishabh and his associate.– Brian

We were a fam of 4 (husband+wife + 2 teenage kids), who took a 6 am cycling trip with City on Pedals, in Amritsar. We were very ably guided through the city with Rishab leading from the front and Aman bringing up the rear. They took us to a bunch of eating places and heritage places too! It was a leisurely 4 hour trip and Rishab was an extremely gracious host -treating us to jalebis, tea, lassi, kulchas, puris, halwa and at the same time interspersing this with historical, cultural and contemporary Amritsar gems(some hidden ones too). Highly recommend this adventure.– Aginder

“Great experience, worth the effort!” – Arianna

We had booked the two morning walking tours, which included the Golden Temple and the hidden gems of the city. It was hard to get up that early but it proved to be incredible! Our first guide Aman was extremely knowledgeable and showed us the Golden Temple, the kitchens, the morning ceremony and much more! The second tour which followed immediately after was like a behind the scenes Amritsar, and at our request they even took us to Jainawala Bag!
If you’re looking for a genuine experience to discover the city, City on Pedals is the only one you need!Read more on TripAdvisor ≫

“Nicely conducted tour with caring guide Aman” – Panthil

Did the street food tour . There were about 6 stops. Every stop served excellent varieties of street food like gol gappa, paneer pakoda, momos , soda, aam papad, gulab jamun, jalebi etc. The main course was at brothers pure veg dhaba , the thali served there was world class. It had authentic punjabi taste with medium spices. The food stalls were very hygienic. We did the tour by cycle rickshaw. Had a memorable time. The guide and cycle rickshaw pullers were very nice. Five out five stars to this tour!Read more on TripAdvisor ≫

“Nice Street Food Tour” – Eren Hasan

We went on a bicycle street food tour with Aman which was great fun! We had a good selection of food and he kept checking that we were okay on the bikes on the challenging Amritsar roads!

They are a really conscientious company who seem to genuinely care about giving a good experience to the customers 🙂Read more on TripAdvisor ≫

“Nice evening spent trying Street food on bicycles.” – Jasnesh

Went with my brother (only 2 of us on the tour). Guide was Aman. He was very humble. We are of Indian background so knew most of the food, that’s why Aman himself didn’t go too much into the details of each food. Visited around 8-9 stalls. It was a nice experience to try the local street food of Amritsar. Favorite was the jalebi at the end and momo and gol gappa. Just be careful while cycling in the busy streets. It is not for the faint-hearted.Read more on TripAdvisor ≫

“Fantastic Tours & Guides” – Nicola

I did 3 tours with this company, the Wagah Border Tour, the Golden Temple Walking Tour and the Amritsar Heritage Walking Tour. They were all really good but my favourite was the Golden Temple one. The guides are very knowledgeable and the tours are great value. I can’t recommend them enough.Read more on TripAdvisor ≫

The Hidden Secrets Cycle Tour and Golden Temple are must do activities when in Amritsar.

You will see sights and learn things that even lifelong residents of Amritsar do not know. It is definitely worth skipping that 6th kingfisher, setting your alarm and getting up early to enjoy these tours and the warm hospitality of this company and the people of Punjab.

I would like to say a huge thanks to Rishab for accommodating me at literally the last minute (I’m sorry for waking you up) and to Amandeep for 2 great Tours and for kindly giving me lifts to the start of the bike tour and to my hotel. The ride on a back of a scooter was an experience in itself.

Thanks and best wishes! I look forward to following your success on social media and be reminded of a truly unique birthday 🙂Read more on TripAdvisor ≫